One Thousand Ropes submitted to Oscars

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Issue date:

Friday, 29 September 2017

Tusi Tamasese’s One Thousand Ropes is New Zealand’s submission for the best foreign language category of the 90th Academy Awards.

Each year the Academy invites countries to select and submit their best foreign language film for consideration. Selection is decided by a committee of experienced film industry representatives, chaired by New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) CEO, Dave Gibson. The committee comprises of Niki Caro, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Ngila Dickson, Mike Horton, John Gilbert, Grant Major, Lee Tamahori and David Coulson.

“The committee and I are pleased to endorse One Thousand Ropes, and congratulate Tusi and his team,” says Gibson. “Tusi’s film balances social realism and supernatural spiritualism to create an enigmatic yet powerful film.”

Written and directed by Tamasese and produced by Catherine Fitzgerald, One Thousand Ropes is the story of a Samoan family living in suburban New Zealand, re-connecting and putting to rest the ghosts that haunt them.

“The filmmakers are honoured to have been selected to represent New Zealand by a such esteemed colleagues,” says Fitzgerald.

Starring Uelese Petaia, Frankie Adams, Beulah Koale and Sima Urale, One Thousand Ropes is Tamasese’s follow up to his much-awarded feature debut, The Orator. The film had its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 2017 Berlin Film Festival where Hollywood Reporter called it “a deeply felt drama,” and notes of Tamasese’s directorial style, “he sustains the subdued intensity with impressive control.”

One Thousand Ropes will next be seen in October’s London Film Festival and Adelaide Film Festivals, with more festival outings to follow. International sales for the film are being handled by Mongrel Media.